Regional Workshop: Train-The-Trainers
30 May 2019
MEPSEAS - Marine Environment Protection of the South East Asian Seas

The Train-The-Trainers Regional Workshop took place in Singapore on the 28 - 30 May 2019.
>>>  go to article
https://mepseas.imo.org/news/regional-workshop-train-the-trainers

Whale Disentanglement course held at NSRI Station 8 Hout Bay
6 - 7 April 2019

Hosted by Mike Meyer (The South African Whale Disentanglement Network) and the NSRI’s Head office training department.

The training includes as theory side of what causes the whales to become entangled, safe procedures to remove gear from trapped animals, how the specialist equipment works and the different protocols and roles within a disentanglement team. The training also includes a practical session at sea as well as an exam.

Protecting beachgoers from rip currents, other dangers: NSRI goes beyond call of duty
Gareth van Zyl
BizNews

A book titled, Into a Raging Sea – Great South African Sea Rescues, has just been translated into Afrikaans. The English version of the book was published towards the end of 2016 to celebrate National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) 50th anniversary in 2017. Ed Herbst, touching on stories from the book, reveals the critical role that the NSRI plays in safeguarding beachgoers.

Mayday (extract)... Andrew describes just such a situation in a chapter headlined Disaster off Duiker Island when a charter boat, the Miroshga which operated out of Hout Bay, capsized in October 2012 off Duiker Island, a popular whale watching spot.
...And then Bruce burst back in through the door ‘Mayday,’ he said. ‘Guys, there is a Mayday on 16.’ A Mayday is no joke. It is an urgent call for help, and it took a second or two for this to sink in. Bruce was being absolutely serious. He had switched his new radio on and the first message that he heard was ‘MAYDAY DUIKER ISLAND. . . MAYDAY . . .’
I felt my throat tighten and yelled, ‘Suit up, let’s go!’ Bruce went into the ops room and the crew, quiet now, started pulling on their gear. ...At one stage I found myself passing our inflatable life jackets to rescue swimmer Ernesta Swanepoel: ‘Throw them in the boat. We can put them on when we have launched.’
>>>  go to article
https://www.biznews.com/good-hope-project/2017/11/27/safeguarding-sa-beachgoers-nsri

High risks, no paycheck: what motivates NSRI volunteers to save others from SA’s treacherous seas
Matthew Sterne
TimesLive

The first base started out of a shed in Three Anchor Bay, and now there are 35 bases around the country, with a handful at inland dams. Early records on the NSRI are nonexistent. As Ingram puts it, “The volunteers just went out, rescued people and carried on with their lives.” They’re a much more professional outfit these days and the records over the last five years show that, on average, the NSRI has saved 825 people a year. “It changed my life. And the things that you experience change your life too,” Ernesta Swanepoel, a volunteer at Bakoven and an environmental lawyer, says. “Sea rescue grounded me because it gave me a massive purpose. I’m also convinced that I’m better at my job because of Sea Rescue. I call it precision thinking. For instance, if you work with a helicopter it’s the smallest things that matter. You need to think about every single thing that you do because if you make a small mistake it can cost your life and someone else’s life.”
>>>  go to article
https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2017-02-20-high-risks-no-paycheck-what-motivates-nsri-volunteers-to-save-others-from-sas-treacherous-seas

Super Lynx notches up first local sea rescue
23 May 2016
defenceWeb

The 22 Squadron Super Lynx was tasked to carry out a rescue operation. NSRI stations at Table Bay, Melkbosstrand and Mykonos were all placed on alert.
At around 07h40 on Saturday the helicopter rendezvoused with the fishing trawler off Saldanha Bay 106 nautical miles from its AFB Ysterplaat home base.
NSRI ASR rescue swimmer Ernesta Swanepoel and EMS rescue paramedic Shakira Hartley were both winch hoisted onto the vessel from the helicopter and they found the patient to be in a stable condition, showing signs and symptoms of an MI (myocardial infarction) and medical treatment was initiated.
>>>  go to article
https://www.defenceweb.co.za/aerospace/aerospace-aerospace/super-lynx-notches-up-first-local-sea-rescue

‘Rescue angels’ show their mettle
Henriette Geldenhuys - 3 Sep 2016
Weekend Argus

When the captain of the 25m fishing trawler Iron Maiden suffered a heart attack off the West Coast in May, Shakira Hartley and Ernesta Swanepoel were picked up in an Air Force Lynx helicopter at the Ysterplaat Air Force Base and lowered on to the vessel to save his life.
Grappling with strong winds aboard an aircraft, the two action women, provincial health department rescue paramedic Hartley and NSRI rescue swimmer Swanepoel, were left with pride, respect for one another’s abilities and special memories of that day they saved a life.
Years of tough training on and off boats, on aircraft and emergency rescue vehicles, all paid off for them – but not only that day. Driven by passion and courage, much of the women’s lives are spent helping save others. For the captain’s rescue, Hartley and Swanepoel left Ysterplaat at 7.40am on Saturday, May 21, flown by two air force pilots with support from a flight engineer. They spotted the trawler, en route from Brazil to Cape Town, 100 nautical miles from Ysterplaat, off shore of Saldanha Bay. The women hoisted the ill man safely into the helicopter and Hartley attached an oxygen tank, put him on a drip and ECG monitor.
>>>  go to article
https://www.iol.co.za/weekend-argus/rescue-angels-show-their-mettle-2064066

NSRI volunteers receive awards for Robben Island rescue
6 December 2013
Sea Rescue South Africa

NSRI volunteers from Station 2 Bakoven, Station 3 Table Bay and Station 18 Melkbosstrand were today given awards for the rescue of 12 fishermen from the trawler Claremont that ran aground on Robben Island during a vicious storm on 13 August 2013.
Congratulations to Mark Thompson, Luke van Riet, Coralie McDonald and Ernesta Swanepoel from Bakoven; Kim Germishuys and Giles Daubney from Table Bay and Kobus Meyer, Quinton Luck and Ryan Minaar of Melkbosstrand - all who receive the Directors Thanks for the rescue.
>>>  go to article
https://www.nsri.org.za/2013/12/nsri-volunteers-receive-awards-for-robben-island-rescue

Heroes of high seas rescue
Murray Williams - 14 Aug 2013
Cape Argus

Cape Town - They are the unsung heroes who selflessly give their all to save the lives of others. And so it proved again during the NSRI’s daring midnight rescue on Robben Island on Tuesday.
The NSRI rescuers saved the lives of 12 fishermen from the shipwreck after the 19.6m Hout Bay fishing trawler Claremont ran aground.
NSRI spokesman Craig Lambinon told the Cape Argus: “They did unbelievably well, it was a mammoth effort - swimming, wading and hopping from rock to rock, in foul weather, pouring rain, with huge waves breaking over them - for more than an hour-and-a-half. All our rescue crews are trained to the highest standards of the NSRI - and, frankly, when you’re out there in action there is zero distinction between old and young, men and women… It’s a bunch of volunteers giving their all to save lives.” Ernesta Swanepoel, 35, is an attorney in international environmental law. She is also training to serve on the NSRI’s helicopter rescue unit. “(We) made our way to Robben Island in incredible seas. You could not see, it was pitch black, raining and huge swells, like a washing machine,” she said.
>>>  go to article
https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/heroes-of-high-seas-rescue-1562126

False killer whales beached at Noordhoek
24 March 2013
Sea Rescue South Africa

At 07h43 on Sunday 24th of March NSRI volunteers from Sea Rescue stations in Kommetjie, Hout Bay, Simon’s Town, Strandfontein, Bakoven and Table Bay were activated following reports of twenty false killer whales beached at Noordhoek Beach, between Hout Bay and Kommetjie, in Cape Town.
Tom Coetzee, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said: “Our duty crew launched sea rescue craft from Kommetjie and from Hout Bay and NSRI rescuers responded. The City of Cape Town Disaster Management, The Department of Environmental Affairs – Oceans and Coasts, the SPCA, Law Enforcement, Law Enforcement Marine Unit, Table Mountain National Park Rangers, the SA Police Services, Police Sea Border Line, Cape Town Traffic, 2 Veterinary Surgeons and various marine agency volunteers were activated to respond.
The WC Government Health EMS, Police Divers and the SA Navy were placed on alert. On arrival on-scene four whales were found dead. Six whales were found to be in reasonable good health. One whale that was lying in shallow surf appears to have swum away through the surf. Nine whales were in less good health.
Whales were assisted with wet blankets which were continuously doused with water to keep them cool and alive and attempts were made to reduce stress.
During the morning one whale that was found to be in poor health died naturally. Nine whales were euthanized after Veterinary Surgeons found them to be in extremely poor health and suffering.
Of the six whales that had initially been in relatively good health one deteriorated rapidly. Five were loaded onto trailers and trucks and transported to the SA Naval Dockyard in Simon’s Town and transported to sea by two SA Navy tug boats and released .
>>>  go to article
https://www.nsri.org.za/2013/03/pilot-whales-beached-at-noordhoek

Awards for rescue of 37 from Miroshga
23 November 2012
Sea Rescue South Africa

On the afternoon of 13 October 2012, when the charter boat Miroshga capsized, there was a huge response from the sea-faring community and rescue services. Thirty seven men, women and children were saved.
This evening (23 November 2012) the following people were thanked for going beyond the call of duty:
>>>  go to article
http://www.nsri.org.za/2012/11/awards-for-the-rescue-of-39-from-the-miroshga

Underwater footage of Hout Bay rescue:
news24
>>>  go to link
https://www.news24.com/news24/multimedia/south-africa/Underwater-Hout-Bay-rescue-20121016

Bakoven volunteer on Dagbreek TV
16 November 2012
Sea Rescue South Africa

Sea Rescue’s Bakoven volunteer, Ernesta Swanepoel, was interviewed on Dagbreek TV this morning. If you missed it here is a link to their Facebook page where you can watch the four minute piece.
>>>  go to link
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ernestaswanepoel/14544278478